Chrysanthemum plant named `Oriole`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Oriole` characterized by its vigorous and mounded growth habit; daisy-type inflorescences; orange ray florets and bright yellow disc florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and good garden performance.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andreferred to by the cultivar name Oriole.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe inventor in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom. The objectiveof the breeding program was to create new Chrysanthemum cultivars havingdesirable inflorescence colors and good garden performance.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the inventor of theChrysanthemum proprietary selection P173/91 as the female, or seed,parent with the cultivar `Empire Ventura` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,384) asthe male, or pollen, parent.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlledenvironment in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atChichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of `Oriole`. These characteristics incombination distinguish `Oriole` as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Vigorous and mounded growth habit.

2. Daisy-type inflorescences.

3. Orange ray florets and bright yellow disc florets.

4. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

5. Good garden performance.

The cultivar Oriole has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperatures, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

In side-by-side comparisons in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom,under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have a moremounded habit, larger inflorescences and flower later than plants of thefemale parent, the proprietary Chrysanthemum selection P173/91 and themale parent, the Chrysanthemum cultivar `Empire Ventura`. In addition,ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is orange whereasray floret color of plants of the cultivar `Empire Ventura` are moreyellow.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the cultivar `Grace`(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,642). However, in side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Oxnard, Calif., under commercial practice, plants of thenew Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar `Grace` in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are taller than plants of thecultivar `Grace`.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have a more uniform plant habit thanplants of the cultivar `Grace`.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower later than plants of thecultivar `Grace`.

4. Inflorescences of the new Chrysanthemum have a tidy, uniform edgewhereas inflorescences of the cultivar `Grace` have a ragged, nonuniformedge.

5. Ray florets of the cultivar `Grace` have a yellow-gold band at theirbase whereas ray florets of the new Chrysanthemum are solid orange andlack this band.

6. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer peduncles than plants ofthe cultivar `Grace`.

7. Inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Grace produce considerablymore pollen than inflorescences of the new Chrysanthemum.

A detailed comparison of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and thecultivar Grace appears in Chart A at the end of the specification.

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The first photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typicalflowering 16.5-cm container of `Oriole` with one cutting in thecontainer.

The second photograph comprises a close-up view of four leaves atdifferent stages of development and a fully opened inflorescence.Foliage and floret colors in the photographs may appear different fromthe actual colors due to light reflectance.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Oxnard, Calif., undercommercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with average nighttemperatures of 18° C., average day temperatures of 30° C., and lightlevels of 2,000 (cloudy conditions) to 9,000 (sunny conditions)footcandles.

After sticking unrooted cuttings of the new cultivar, plants received 4weeks of long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights untilflowering. Measurements and numerical values represent ranges oraverages for six typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar `Oriole`

Commercial classification: Garden Chrysanthemum.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora propietary selectionP173/91.

Male, or pollen, parent.--Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar `EmpireVentura` (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,384).

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--10 to 12 days with soil temperatures of 20C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous garden plant. Vigorous and rapidgrowth rate. Mounded, uniform habit and freely branching.

Plant height.--About 20 cm.

Lateral branch length.--About 16 cm.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.--3 to 4.

Stem color.--147C.

Foliage description.--Number of leaves per plant: About 48. Number ofleaves per lateral branch: About 12. Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Leafsize, fully expanded. Length: About 4.5 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Leafapex: Rounded, slightly apiculate. Leaf base: Attenuate. Leaf margin:Palmately lobed. Leaf texture: Abaxial and adaxial surfaces slightlypubescent, smooth and dull. Veins prominent on abaxial surface. Petiolelength: About 2.4 cm. Color: Young foliage adaxial surface: 147A. Youngfoliage abaxial surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage adaxial surface:147A. Fully expanded foliage abaxial surface: 147B. Venation adaxialsurface: 147C. Venation abaxial surface: 147B. Petiole: 147C.

Flowering description:

Appearance.--Daisy inflorescence form. Inflorescences borne on terminalsabove foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets arrangedacropetally on flat capitulum. Inflorescence is comprised of two whorlsof short, wide ray florets, and a large disc. Uniform inflorescenceedge.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plants flower in theautumn. At other times of the year, inflorescence initiation anddevelopment can be induced under short day/long night conditions (atleast 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to about 4 weeks of longday/short night conditions after sticking followed by photoinductiveshort day/long night conditions, flower about 49 days later.

Quantity of inflorescences.--About 6 to 8 inflorescences per floweringstem.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 4 cm. Depth (height): About 1.3 cm.Diameter of disc: About 1.5 cm.

Opening inflorescences.--Bud shape: Slightly flattened. Bud size:Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 1 cm. Bud color: 169B.

Ray florets.--Shape: Spatulate. Size: Length: About 1.7 cm. Width: About7.5 mm. Apex: Blunt, very slightly tri-dentate. Base: Acute. Margin:Entire. Texture: Velvety, smooth and glabrous. Aspect: Flat. Number ofray florets per inflorescence: About 30. Color: When opening adaxialsurface: 25A. When opening abaxial surface: 21B. Mature, adaxialsurface: 25A. Mature, abaxial surface: 21B. Fading to: 21A.

Disc florets.--Shape: Tubular. Size: Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 1mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence: About 160. Color:Immature: 154C. Mature: 1C.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Strong and angled about 25° to 35° to the stem.Length: First peduncle: About 4.5 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 6 cm.Texture: Pubescent. Color: 147C.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 14A. Pollen: Moderate, 14A in color. Gynoecium: Present on bothray and disc florets. Style color: 154C.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date onplants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

                  CHART A                                                         ______________________________________                                        CHARACTERISTIC   `ORIOLE`    `GRACE`                                          ______________________________________                                        PLANT SHAPE      Mounded habit                                                                             Upright                                          PETIOLE LENGTH   About 2.4 cm                                                                              About 1.35 cm                                    INFLORESCENCE DIAMETER                                                                         About 4 cm  About 4.5 cm                                     INFLORESCENCE DEPTH                                                                            About 1.3 cm                                                                              About 9 mm                                       BUD SHAPE        Slightly flattened                                                                        Spherical                                        BUD COLOR        169B        163A                                             RAY FLORET SHAPE Short and wide,                                                                           Narrow, strap-like                                                spatulate                                                    RAY FLORET APEX  Blunt, very Unevenly dentate                                                  slightly tri-dentate                                                                      ragged                                                                        appearance                                       RAY FLORET LENGTH                                                                              About 1.7 cm                                                                              Variable, 1.7 to                                                              2.4 cm                                           RAY FLORET WIDTH About 7.5 mm                                                                              About 4.5 mm                                     RAY FLORET COLOR 25A         24A                                              WHEN OPENING, ADAXIAL                                                         RAY FLORET COLOR, WHEN                                                                         21B         17B                                              OPENING, ABAXIAL                                                              RAY FLORET COLOR,                                                                              25A         23A                                              MATURE, ADAXIAL                                                               RAY FLORET COLOR,                                                                              21B         17C                                              MATURE, ABAXIAL                                                               RAY FLORET COLOR FADING                                                                        21A         23B                                              TO                                                                            NUMBER OF DISC FLORETS                                                                         About 160   About 138                                        PER INFLORESCENCE                                                             DISC FLORET COLOR,                                                                             154C        154D                                             IMMATURE                                                                      DISC FLORET COLOR,                                                                             1C          154C                                             MATURE                                                                        DIAMETER OF DISC About 1.5 cm                                                                              About 1.1 cm                                     PEDUNCLE LENGTH, FIRST                                                                         About 4.5 cm                                                                              About 4 cm                                       PEDUNCLE LENGTH, FOURTH                                                                        About 6 cm  About 5.7 cm                                     AMOUNT OF POLLEN Moderate    Abundant                                         ______________________________________                                    

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed `Oriole`, as illustrated and described.